Field of Application
The present invention broadly relates to a process for drying organic substances in aqueous phases or wet organic substances in emulsified organic and aqueous phases.
In particular, the invention relates to a process as above, whereby organic substances are dried under suitable conditions to prevent the finely divided organic powders that issue from the drying process from initiating explosive reactions.
Current processes for drying slurries and the like aqueous-phase or mixed-phase dispersions of organic substances provide for heating in an inert atmosphere, usually a nitrogen atmosphere, as a precaution against explosion hazard.
An example of such a process is disclosed in patent EP 0 491 247. It is stated in this reference that the steam issuing from conventional drying processes is not sufficient to put a drying system completely out of danger. As a matter of fact, the steam cannot always ensure that the oxygen concentration is below the exploding point, because suction effects downstream of the system or air leakage may cause the instant proportion of steam contained in the system to drop significantly. For explosion prevention, the patent teaches neutralizing the system by means of an inert gas.